So You Want to be A Hero?
by Klink
Summary: This is basically a little humourus cross-over I wrote. It's in rough copy. It's of Squall and Cloud, two of my favourite Final Fantasy characters, dispensive advice to Tidus, the new Final Fantasy hero (Final Fantasy XI). Please enjoy.


They sat in the green room, the three of them, each similar in some way, and in other ways so  
different.   
The one with the blond hair that spiked up, with his strangely growing green eyes, stared intently  
at the "new guy", slouched in his chair over a mug of coffee.   
The same intent expression on the spiked haired ones face matched the one on the darker haired,  
and younger gentleman. And both watched the 'new guy' as he sipped his coffee.   
The two men wore casual clothes, different than what people were used to seeing them in;  
casual clothes, the clothes they wore when they were out wandering the world.   
The 'new guy' was still in his gear, brightly coloured clothes, with his blond hair falling into his  
handsome face.   
"Listen....ah...I really don't know how to ask you two this." He began, and Cloud and Squall  
glanced at each other, over Tidus' head, as he was still bent over his coffee. Their glances were  
amused, but quickly became serious.   
"Listen, kid, you want to become a hero, right?" Squall asked, leaning forward slightly, and  
reaching to the table that sat between the tree, coffee table, low to the ground. Casually he  
plucked up a bagel with cream cheese that rested on there.   
"Well, um, yeah. Why else would I be here?" Tidus asked, tensing slightly at the use of 'kid'.   
Alright, so they had been in the business longer than they he. They had formed the path for  
him....at least they had in the older system days.   
But he was better done than they had been, they had put more money into everything he was  
doing. And maybe that was why he was so nervous.   
"So then you don't get nervous, or scared, or feel silly. Unless it's to get a girls attention." Cloud  
admonished him raspily, flicking up a strand of his gravity-defying hair.   
"Wha....oh alright. Yeah, I get it. So tell me....how did you guys manage it?" Tidus asked, putting  
down his coffee. If he didn't he would probably spill it all over himself.   
Cloud waved a hand to Squall, whom had just finished swallowing a bite of his bagel, indicating  
the darker haired 'veteran' should go first.   
"Manage what? Being heroes? We didn't, we just did what came naturally. You're either a good  
guy, a bad guy, or a citizen in this world kid. We just happened to have what it took to be good  
guys." Squall shrugged off the question, and bit again into the bagel.   
Cloud stretched out his legs, jeans molding to the muscles there. "Yeah. Circumstances make  
you what you are kid, remember that. If your dad hadn't died, or your mom hadn't been raped, or  
your sister hadn't run away....all these things always add up to something."   
"People with boring pasts never the good guys make." Squall interjected, wiping up a few  
crumbs from the corner of his mouth with a thumb, and then sucking on the digit.   
"So...uh....I can't have a happy, normal, nuclear family, is what you're saying?" Tidus asked,  
reaching forward for a handful of carrots that were also on the plate in the middle of the table.   
"Exactly. I mean, it doesn't give you angst or doesn't come back to haunt you over and over  
again. Or failing that, find yourself a girlfriend that dies, or semi-dies." Cloud nodded, thinking  
of his own mentor, and smiling faintly.   
"That's a little harsh Cloud. You had one maybe-girlfriend die, and then Tifa there to take-up  
where Aeris stopped." Squall mocked slightly, and all Cloud could do was grin broadly.   
"Don't forget, what you show them is different than what you show one other person. Trust only  
one person, and only then reluctant. If you trust more than one person, than at least one of 'em is  
going to die." Squall continued, and then popped the last of the bagel into his mouth.   
Tidus seemed lost, confused and uncertain at this. "So....should I trust Yuna then?" He asked the  
two, watching as Squall lifted his slender, long limbed self from his chair and wandered over to  
the fridge to grab himself a pop.   
"Yes. But be prepared that she isn't going to be exactly forthcoming with her own secrets and  
trust. That's not going to happen until just before you fight your head nemesis." Squall turned  
around, and lifted the canned beverage to Edea as she strolled by the GreenRoom door. She  
smiled and flirtingly blew him a kiss and walked on.   
"And forgive the people you thought were the actual badguys. No matter how mean they are to  
you. Only kill the really evil ones." Cloud said, taking Squall's drink from him.   
Tidus looked at Squall, expecting him to fly into a rage, but instead he shrugged to Tidus and  
wandered back to the fridge, his khaki's failing to hide the ass that many women found  
attractive.   
"And a hero is never too old! In the past there'd be 60 year olds fighting for you! So be prepared  
if you meet someone like that. Never turn anyone down, especially if they save your butt!" Cloud  
wagged his finger at Tidus, before downing the sweet pop, the red and blue can slick with  
condensation.   
"Um....right." Tidus tried not to panic, there was so much to remember, how would he stop from  
messing up? What if he failed? What if he destroyed everything, killed everyone.   
"Don't worry kid." Squall patted his shoulder, stopping, on his way to the door to administer  
some advice. "Just remember...they have the save option there for a reason."  



End file.
